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[Page 33] 




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CHICAGO 
K G. BROWNE &.CO. 



COPYRIGHT, 1913 
BY F. G. BROWNE &. CO. 


All rights reserved 
Copyright in England 


PUBLISHED, FEBRUARY, 1913 



THE.PLIMPTON*PRES8 
[ W D.Q ] 

NORWOOD.MASS*U.S.A 

/•'T® 

A o /I o o /I ^ 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


I T was in the autumn of 1904 that 
the Colonel told the story; Colonel 

M , who, with his seventy years, 

his snowy hair and imperial, was yet as 
ruddy of cheek and as gallant of bearing 

as when in the old days he led the th 

Cavalry through the deserts of the West. 
Since his retirement his home was at the 
Army and Navy Club, where his charm- 
ing little dinners and his unfaihng wit 
and eloquence as an after-dinner speaker 
made this courtly old warrior the most 
sought for man about the capital. 

We had dined with the Colonel that 
evening, and as we entered the club 
smoking-rooms we overheard fragments 
of an animated conversation between 
two naval officers, who were debating 
the probable movements of the United 
States battleship squadron in case the 
feud between Japan and Russia should 
involve other nations. The relative 
strength of the Japanese and Russian 
navies, both as to material and personnel, 
was also under discussion. In support 
of some claim as to Japanese superiority, 
one of the navy men took up an encyclo- 
pedia, from which he read the following: 

[ 1 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


“ ‘ Samurai — A term designating the 
feudal or governing class of old Japan; 
the ruhng families from which the fight- 
ing clans were organized; a fighting 
man.’” 

We found seats in the farther corner 
of the room and, after a few moments 
of silence, the Colonel remarked, in the 
musing tone which always promised a 
story : 

“Boys, I once knew a Samurai; two 
of them, in fact; one to the manner 
born, the other a Samurai by adoption.” 

“Unlimber and get your range. Colonel, 
we are ready,” remarked Sanderson of 
the Artillery, who would talk shop. 

The old man smiled indulgently, and 
settling himself deeper into the big leather 
chair, replied: 

“Well, then, if you youngsters really 
care to hsten, and will allow an old fel- 
low to tell his tale in his own fashion, 
you shall hear of the Samurai I have 
mentioned, two of the bravest men I 
ever met, and I have known several. 

“At the close of the rebellion, after 
being mustered out as captain in the 
Tenth New York Cavalry, I re-entered 
the service as a lieutenant in the Fourth 
Regulars, and was at once ordered to 
Fort Sill. This was in ’65, and for the 
next fifteen years we earned every dollar 
Uncle Sam paid us, and incidentally rode 
our horses over some millions of square 
miles of his territory, between the Brazos 

[^] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


and the Big Horn. It was scout and 
fight, winter and summer; no big affairs, 
you understand, but a row of some sort 
going all the while, for the Indians were 
ugly and required lots of licking to keep 
them on their reservations. April 5, 

1880, I was transferred to the th 

Cavalry, and, as ranking captain, as- 
sumed command of Fort Huachuca, 
Arizona, a three-company post only a few 
miles from the Sonora border. 

“It was a favorite pastime of the reds, 
for small parties of a dozen or twenty, to 
break from the reservation at night and, 
after raising sundry and divers varieties 
of hell, to slip across the border and take 
refuge in Mexico, sneaking back to their 
tepees after the flurry of pursuit was 
over. 

“It was the first day after I assumed 
command that I took my own troop out 
on the parade-ground, put them through 
their paces, and gave them a thorough 
looking-over, to see what sort of an aggre- 
gation I had inherited. They were a rol- 
hcking lot of lads, not pretty to look at, 
but comfortable fellows to have at one’s 
back when going into a scrimmage, as I 
learned upon more than one bitter day 
in the months that followed. After a 
few evolutions I felt, rather than saw, 
what they needed: they wanted a master; 
wanted a leader whose word should be 
to them the law and the gospel, from 
Proverbs to Revelations, and by Gad, 

[^] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


sir, they found their man right there and 
then. Half of them didn’t seem to know 
how to obey a command, and the other 
haM didn’t appear to be in any particular 
hurry. My subalterns, too, were apa- 
thetic, and inside of ten minutes I knew 
that my work was cut out for me, if I 
expected to make anything of Troop C. 

“The only man in the company who 
seemed to know the game, and wanted 
to play it by the book, was the First 
Sergeant. I spotted him at once, and 
noticed that he not only understood and 
instantly obeyed a command, but that 
he mentally anticipated it, which showed 
me that he was letter-perfect in tactics. 

“I didn’t waste a great deal of time in 
letting them know the lay of the land. 
As they wheeled into hne by fours, the 
order was ‘Halt, Company front!’ and 
then, riding very slowly, I passed down 
the line, and over the head of his motion- 
less horse I looked squarely through each 
trooper’s eyes and down into the sub- 
cellar of his immortal soul. At the end 
of that slow riding I knew my men, and 
they knew that I knew them. 

“From that moment began the up- 
building of Company C, and before six 
pay-days had passed it was the best 
drilled, best natured, hardest fighting 
troop that ever swung the saber or 
followed the guidon. 

“As the Company broke ranks I could 
see that the men were speaking eagerly 

[^] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


among themselves, evidently discussing 
their new ‘Old Man.’ I had my eye on 
that First Sergeant, and after stables 
that evening I sent an orderly for him. 
A few minutes later he strode up to the 
open door of my quarters, saluted and 
stood at attention, waiting while I looked 
him over from end to end. He was a 
soldierly-looking chap, square-shouldered, 
well set up, long of limb and slender, and 
looked as hard as iron. But it was at 
his face that I looked longest. It was 
not a happy face — some great sorrow 
or great disappointment had left its 
shadow there — but it had character 
written all over. Prominent cheek- 
bones, a good nose and chin, with deep- 
set gray eyes, that looked at a man, not 
past him. For a full minute he stood 
quietly returning my gaze, with never a 
flinch nor the tremor of an eyehd. 

“‘What’s your name. Sergeant.^’ 

“‘Reynolds, sir.’ 

“‘How long have you been in the 
service.^’ 

“‘Nearly three years, sir.’ 

“‘Step inside. Sergeant, I want to 
have a talk with you.’ 

“As he passed the threshold he removed 
his hat, and right there his Captain came 
very nearly committing an unpardonable 
breach of discipline, for the impulse came 
over me to get out of my chair and offer 
the gentleman a seat. For Sergeant 
Reynolds was a gentleman, as one could 

[^] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


see the instant his hat came off and that 
magnificent forehead appeared in evi- 
dence. His was a splendid head, and 
every fine of his face and brow bore the 
unmistakable stamp of intellectual force 
and honesty of purpose. Why was such 
a man as this serving as a private soldier 
in the regular army.^ I was distinctly 
rattled for a minute, and in the httle 
silence which ensued I found myself 
speculating as to what queer turn of 
Fate’s fickle wheel had brought him 
there. Such cases were not infrequent, 
and many an interesting identity lay 
concealed under Uncle Sam’s army blue. 

‘‘Whatever had been his past, I felt 
sure he was the one man in the company 
who could be of most assistance in bring- 
ing the troop up to concert pitch, so I 
went straight to the point: 

“‘Sergeant, Troop C requires some 
good, hard drill and better disciphne. 
The men need a httle ginger and soldierly 
spirit infused into them, and a man in 
the ranks, who has his heart in the work, 
can prove himself of invaluable assistance 
to his officers in bringing about the 
desired conditions. I had an eye on you 
this afternoon and, if I am not mistaken, 
you know your business. Your Captain 
is going to depend on you to help him 
round the troop into shape, and, willingly 
or unwillingly, you’re going to give him 
that help. I sent for you to tell you 
this and to know whether you will do it 

[ 6 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


because you want to, or because you 
have to.’ 

“Quick as a shot came his reply, 
‘Both, sir.’ 

“There was a faint smile on his lip 
and a pleased look in his eyes which told 
me that my First Sergeant was mine. I 
dismissed him without further question- 
ing, for I felt intuitively that no casual in- 
quiry would secure Sergeant Reynolds’ 
real history, much as I wanted it. A few 
minutes’ private and pointed conversa- 
tion with each of my Heutenants that 
evening, and I was ready for the siege 
of drill which began the following day. 
Lord! How I did work those fellows for 
the next week or two ! The men grumbled 
and kicked, as is the soldier’s prerogative, 
but they worked. Hennessy, the big- 
gest, brawniest trooper of the lot, prob- 
ably voiced the general sentiment, when 
one hot afternoon he unburdened himself 
to Reynolds. 

“‘What do yez make av it, Sargint.^ 
Is this a rest cure that the dear Captin 
is thryin’ on us.^ Bedad, I’d rayther be 
diggin’ post holes in the stony corner of 
hell than workin’ as a hoss sojer unther 
that man! Sure, me hver is jolted loose 
and the seat of me panties is wored out 
entoirely with this ridin’ and chargin’ 
up and down the landscape from mornin’ 
till night. I’ve dhrilled and dhrilled till 
the dam thing has gone to me head, and I 
find meself dhrillin’ in me slape. There’s 

[ 7 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 

wan good thing about it, thank Hivin, 
the ould divil is takin’ his own medicine, 
for he’s dhrillin’ wid us.’ 

“And so it was. I took my share of 
the drudgery, but it paid, for the troop 
began immediately to show improvement. 
Reynolds’ influence in the ranks was soon 
apparent, the men showing more and 
more interest as the days went by. 

“One evening an ambulance from 
Benson brought in the long delayed 
mails, and as the leathern pouches were 
tumbled out the men gathered about, 
eager for news from the San Carlos 
Agency, where a break was rumored. 
On the seat beside the driver sat a young 
man in civilian dress, unmistakably a 
foreigner. 

“‘Who’s your friend, Bill.^’ sang out 
one of the crowd. 

“‘Recruity,’ answered the driver, with 
a grin; ‘a gent from Japan who is stuck 
on sojerin’ and has come out here to 
get some.’ 

“A delighted yell came from the boys, 
as they closed in and began reaching for 
the newcomer. 

“‘If the lady wud put her fut in me 
hand, I’d be proud to assist her to land 
in Huachuca,’ said Hennessy, as he 
grabbed the stranger by the coat collar. 

“ The httle fellow laughed at the recep- 
tion, and without an instant’s hesitation 
stepped into Hennessy’s hand, then to 
his shoulder, and, springing lightly over 

[ 5 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


the surprised trooper’s head, landed safely 
on his feet. It was neatly done, and his 
evident good nature caught the crowd. 

‘‘‘Bully for the Mikado!’ ‘Hooray 
for the Jap!’ chorused the men, as Hen- 
nessy, nowise abashed, took the new- 
comer by the arm and moved off toward 
the quarters. Several others, scenting a 
lark, hurried forward to take a hand, but 
Hennessy waved them off. ‘Lave go,’ 
he said, ‘I saw it first.’ 

“I beckoned the driver to me and 
inquired concerning the stranger. 

“‘Don’t know nuthin’ about him, sir, 
’cept he tackled me as I was leaving 
Benson, and finally made me understand 
he wanted to come here; offered me a 
five-dollar gold piece to let him ride, and 
here he is. Says he wants to learn to be 
a ’Merican sojer, but he don’t savvy 
United States, not a little bit.’ 

“I turned to Reynolds, who stood near, 
telling him to give the Japanese some- 
thing to eat and then bring him to my 
quarters. It would never do to leave 
him with that lot of unredeemed pagans 
who had him in tow, as they would haze 
him mercilessly. I mentally decided that 
he would be sent back to Benson by the 
ambulance returning next morning. 

“An hour later I saw Reynolds and the 
Jap coming up the company street, the 
little fellow trotting along beside the tall 
trooper, talking excitedly and smiling as 
if thoroughly delighted with the situa- 

[^] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


tion. As they reached my verandah, 
Reynolds saluted and said, ‘Here he is, 
sir/ 

“‘Who is he, and why is he here?’ I 
asked. 

“‘Izo Yamato, sir; been in America 
only a few weeks, and came from San 
Francisco here to enhst. Says he wants 
to be a cavalryman. He is twenty-three 
years old, and belongs to a distinguished 
family.’ 

“‘How comes it that he has been able 
to tell you so much? I understood from 
the driver that he speaks little or no 
English.’ 

“‘He speaks very httle English, sir; 
his conversation with me was in his own 
language.’ 

“‘In Japanese? Where in God’s name 
did you learn Japanese?’ 

“‘I hved in Kobe for several years, 
sir.’ 

“ ‘Um! well, you understand, of course, 
that he cannot enlist here. He must first 
go to some recruiting station and pass an 
examination, which he couldn’t do, both 
on account of his size and his lack of 
Enghsh. Take care of him tonight, 
Reynolds, and we will send him back to 
Benson tomorrow.’ 

“All this time the Jap had not once 
taken his eyes from my face, eagerly 
watching every movement and gesture I 
made. Suddenly, as he seemed to under- 
stand that I had refused his request, he 

[10] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


stepped before me, and drawing himself 
up to his full height, he declared proudly, 
‘Me Samurai.’ 

“I looked at Reynolds for an explana- 
tion. 

“‘He says he is a Samurai, sir, which, 
translated into English, means that he is 
a fighting man.’ 

“I laughed outright, while the smile on 
the little Jap’s face broadened perceptibly, 
as he spoke a half dozen quick, snappy 
sentences in Japanese to Reynolds. 

“‘He says he doesn’t expect to draw 
pay, sir; he has ample funds, and only 
wants to learn American soldiering.’ 

“I couldn’t do anything for him in 
that fine, and told Reynolds so. A quick 
shadow of disappointment passed over 
the youngster’s face, as Reynolds trans- 
lated my words, and I really felt sorry 
for him. He was a handsome httle chap, 
about five feet four, deep-chested, stocky, 
and muscular, a sort of a big httle man, 
when one came to look him over. He 
had jet-black hair, laughing eyes, and, 
while his features were of course after 
the Oriental type, he really looked more 
hke a Portuguese or some south Europe 
breed than a Japanese. After some 
further talk I dismissed them, fully 
determined to send him out of camp the 
following morning — but he didn’t go. 

“Just before taps Reynolds came to 
me again to ask that his new friend be 
permitted to remain at the post for a 

[ 11 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


time, explaining that the Jap would 
furnish his own equipment, and that the 
government would be reimbursed for the 
rations he consumed. He urged the case 
so strongly that I finally inquired what 
personal interest he had in the matter. 
At first he seemed loath to explain, but 
it finally came out. 

“‘Frankly, sir, I want his society. I 
haven’t a real friend in the troop; of 
course, I get on well enough with the 
boys, but they are an illiterate lot, and 
it’s fearfully lonely here at times, having 
no one to talk with. Young Yamato is 
an educated gentleman, and it would 
afford me infinite pleasure to have him 
with me, to teach him and to have him 
as my friend.’ 

“‘But the men will devil the life out 
of him, and you will have a constant 
fight on your hands if you propose to 
protect your friend.’ 

“‘I don’t think they will trouble him 
much, as they come to know him better, 
sir, and he will require no protection.’ 

“‘Why, Reynolds, that big Hennessy 
has already marked him as his victim. 
He will surely haze the life out of the 
httle cuss.’ 

‘“That’s Yamato’s affair, sir. I trust 
you will permit him to remain at the post; 
if he can’t stand the gaff, then he will 
leave.’ 

“‘Reynolds, I want to ask you some 
questions altogether foreign to the sub- 

[ 12 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


ject in hand; questions you needn’t 
answer unless you see fit. You are a 
man of education and refinement; you 
know more about matters military than 
a man in your station is supposed to 
know; you are more famihar than your 
officers with the latest text-books on tac- 
tics. Were you ever at the Point How 
came you to be a private in the service.^ 
What is your history, anyway?’ 

“It was brutal, the manner in which I 
fired those questions at him, taking a 
mean advantage of his position as peti- 
tioner to pry into his private life. I was 
ashamed of it as I put the questions; I 
was more ashamed when his answer 
came. 

“Quickly the color rose to his cheek, 
then gradually receded, leaving him 
deadly pale, as he slowly rephed. 

“ ‘ Captain, the rehearsal of a most un- 
fortunate and unhappy history could not 
in any manner be of interest or profit to 
you. I have never been at West Point, 
and my training has been more naval 
than military. I am here because it 
appears to be the best place for me, and 
while here I have tried to perform my 
duties faithfully. That’s all I care to 
say, sir, and I trust you will respect my 
reticence.’ The gray eyes were looking 
fearlessly into mine. 

“It was a merited rebuke, dehvered 
like a gentleman. 

“‘Right, Sergeant, your history is your 

[IS] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


own property. You may keep the Jap, 
and if you need a friend, come to me.’ 

“There was a suspicious brightness in 
his eyes and the faintest tremor in his 
voice as he wrung my proffered hand, 
saying, ‘Thank you. Captain, I’ll not 
forget this.’ 

“So Yamato remained at the post, the 
ward and pupil of Sergeant Reynolds. 
The men attempted some horse-play with 
him the first day or two, but as Reynolds 
let it be known that the Jap was his 
friend, no one cared to carry the fun- 
making beyond prudent limits. They 
were very curious, however, and asked 
the Sergeant all sorts of questions con- 
cerning his protege, to which they re- 
ceived evasive but good-natured rephes. 
Big Hennessy finally cornered the Jap, 
and proceeded to catechize him. 

“‘How ould are yez. Chink .^’ 

“‘Me have of the years twenty-three,’ 
rephed the lad, with his everlasting 
smile. 

“‘Twinty-three! Sure, ’tis a big boy 
ye are gettin’ to be; if yez kape on 
growin’ at the prisint rate, yez will 
be a full-grown man in thirty or forty 
years more,’ and the Irishman guffawed 
uproariously. 

“‘Well, me big man, what did yez do 
for a livin’ in the ould counthry? Did 
yez wheel the baby waggin and do other 
fight dhry-nursin’, or was ye head push 
in a laundhry.^’ 

[U] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


“Not understanding, the Jap shook 
his head. 

“Hennessy tried again. 

“‘What business were yez in.^^ What 
did ye work at.^’ 

“Extending himself to his full height, 
with great dignity the Japanese replied: 

“ ‘Me no work; in my countree me 
gentleman; me Samurai.’ 

“‘Samoory, eh.^ What particular sort 
av a bug is a Samoory, anyhow.^’ 

“‘Him no bug; Samurai ees one man 
of the fight.’ 

“‘Whoop!’ yelled the big trooper de- 
risively; then raising his voice till he could 
be heard from end to end of the company 
street, he shouted, 

“‘Oyez! Oyez! all ye fighters come 
a-runnin’ with yure hats in yure hands, 
and do riverince to a rale live Samoory 
from the Far East.’ 

“Then as the boys quickly gathered 
about, he made a profound obeisance 
before the surprised Jap, and resumed. 

“ ‘Gintlemen, dhrunkards, short-card 
min, and sojers! ’Tis me pleasure to 
inthrojuce to yez me distinguished frind 
and contimporary, Mister Samoory, av 
Japan, who has confidentially imparted 
to me the information that in his own 
counthry he was known as a fighter from 
way back, a hell of a feller, so to spake; 
and be rayson of his ability as an all-roun’ 
scrapper, the King gave him the title of 
“Sammy, the Fightin’ Man.” All mim- 

[15] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


bers of Troop C will now take warnin’! 
Yez will plaze kape off the grass when 
Mister Sammy is awake. Hospital ac- 
commodations will be provided for them 
as forgit themselves. Form in line now, 
ye divils, and extind the right hand of 
fellowship to Mister Sammy, who has 
thraveled all the way to Americky to be 
showin’ us the fine points av the game.’ 

I “The Jap looked puzzled, but as those 
overgrown children lined up, each in turn 
extending his hand, the smile broadened 
and the black eyes fairly beamed with 
pleasure. This ceremony ended, the boys 
gave three rousing cheers for ‘Sammy, 
the Fighting Man,’ the fun was over, 
and henceforth he was ‘Sammy’ to one 
and all. 

“When Reynolds returned later in the 
day, Sammy delightedly told him of 
Hennessy’s kindness and the great honor 
conferred upon him by Troop C. Rey- 
nolds did not disillusion the boy, but, 
later on, quietly told the men that while 
they might guy the Jap and have fun 
with him, it would not be wise to carry 
it too far. They assumed by this warn- 
ing that Reynolds would resent any 
undue imposition upon his friend; not 
once did it occur to them that Sammy 
was amply able to care for himself. 
Their enlightenment was yet to come. 

“Sammy’s fitting out and equipment 
furnished no end of fun for the men. He 
wanted everything necessary to a ‘ ’Meri- 

[ 16 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


can Soldier of the Horse/ and, as he was 
amply supplied with gold, he soon had 
his tent, blankets, and weapons. From 
some unknown source the boys dug out 
an old, rusty cavalry saber, which he 
hailed with evident delight and which 
he at once proceeded to scour and polish 
till it shone like silver. Then he ground 
and whetted and sharpened the old blade 
till it was keen as a razor. In vain the 
men explained that the laws of war pro- 
hibited a sharpened sword. ‘Me want 
him for cut,’ was his only reply, as he 
went on whetting till the old steel would 
have split a hair. Then he took his 
saber to the blacksmith and requested 
that he file off the basket, or hand-guard, 
leaving a plain, straight, unprotected 
hilt. ‘Me like him better; same like in 
my countree,’ he explained. 

“It was in securing a horse that he had 
greatest difficulty. Not being an enhsted 
man, he could not be permitted to use a 
government mount, nor could he purchase 
a horse from Uncle Sam. After a pri- 
vate conversation with Mexican Joe, the 
proprietor of one of the low groggeries 
just outside the lines, Mr. Hennessy 
announced that he had heard of a fine 
saddle horse for sale by a Greaser a few 
miles down the valley, and, if his friend 
Sammy so desired, the horse should be 
brought up to cantonments on the mor- 
row. Next day a Mexican led a piebald, 
white-eyed broncho into camp, and 

1 ^ 7 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


within five minutes departed hurriedly 
with fifty dollars of Sammy’s gold in his 
pocket. It was a bay and white pinto 
which Sammy had acquired; round- 
bodied, long-barreled, with flat, muscular 
legs and a depth of lung space indicating 
great staying power, but with a Roman 
nose and the restless white eyes which 
told unmistakably of a ‘spoiled’ saddle 
horse. Evil lurked in every movement 
of the slender, pointed ears, and looked 
boldly out through those wicked eyes. 
He was one of those untamed and 
unbreakable specimens of horseflesh 
occasionally found in the great West. 

“‘Come, min,’ said Hennessy briskly, 

‘ lay hold and help the gintleman to 
mount his new calico horse,’ and taking 
the rawhide lariat in his hand, he ad- 
vanced toward the pinto’s head to adjust 
the bridle; then leaping suddenly back, 
as the brute’s teeth snapped together 
dangerously near his arm, he swung 
overhead the bridle with its heavy bit, 
landing it with considerable force between 
the white eyes. 

“‘Whoa! ye murdherin’ divil, have ye 
no sinse of dacincy.^ ’Tis yure new 
masther, the fightin’ man av Japan, who 
is to ride yezl’ 

“A dozen willing hands assisted in get- 
ting the bridle and saddle in place; then 
Sammy, who probably had not been astride 
a horse a dozen times in his life, stepped 
forward and clambered into the saddle. 

[ 18 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


“‘All set!’ shouted Hennessy, as 
Sammy took up the reins; ‘lave go! the 
Arizony circus will now begin!’ 

“Begin it did; for no sooner was the 
maddened brute released than he lunged 
wildly into the air, ahghting with a 
sickening jolt upon his forefeet, while 
his hinder part shot skyward. Sammy’s 
hat flew in one direction and his six- 
shooter in another, as he clutched franti- 
cally at the saddle and endeavored to 
recover the stirrups which were sailing 
about his ears. First to the right, then 
to the left pitched the horse, the men 
yelling in sheer delight, ‘Stick to him, 
Sammy!’ ‘Go it. Calico!’ etc. It lasted 
less than ten seconds, during which time 
Sammy was all over that pinto horse, 
traveling from end to end with each 
sudden unseating; first behind the saddle, 
then in front of it; clinging desperately 
first to one side and then the other, as 
Calico swayed to and fro, like a drunken 
ship, in the effort to discharge his shift- 
ing ballast. The rider had lost the 
reins, and the horse, without guide or 
hindrance, his head far down between his 
forefeet, his back bowed into a squirm- 
ing knot of muscle, landed with a particu- 
larly vicious jolt that shot Sammy into 
the air, where he somersaulted to a land- 
ing in a bunch of bristly soapweed, the 
breath completely jarred out of him. 

“For a half-minute he lay still, and 
then as the laughing soldiers gathered 

[ 19 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


about, he slowly straightened up and 
started toward the pinto, who stood with 
ears perked forward, suspiciously eyeing 
his fallen rider. The boy was badly 
shaken; a thin line of blood from his nose 
showed red on his white lips, as he 
unsteadily grasped the rope and warily 
edged his way to the horse’s head. Once 
within reach his right hand clamped the 
panting nostrils^ while his left gripped an 
ear; there was a quick, downward pull, 
an inward push, a sudden upward twist, 
and Cahco lay floundering on the ground 
with Sammy sitting on his head. 

“ So quickly was it accomphshed not a 
man of them could have told how it had 
been done. Sammy was smihng again, 
as he sat quietly till the beast ceased its 
struggles; then, getting up, he allowed 
Cahco to scramble to his feet. The white 
eyes were blazing now and the horse 
swung his head and squealed angrily as 
the Jap moved in. Again that iron grip 
upon nose and ear, the sudden pushing 
twist, and once more the horse fell 
heavily, his hoofs impotently threshing 
the air. 

“Twice more the pinto was permitted 
to rise, and twice more he was ruthlessly 
thrown, the last time that awful grip 
holding to his nose till poor Cahco was 
well-nigh dead for want of breath. When 
Sammy arose the fourth time the horse 
lay still, and it required a vigorous kick 
to bring him to his feet, his legs trembhng 

[^ 0 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


unsteadily beneath him, and for the first 
time in his fife those white eyes showed 
abject fear. Sammy walked straight to 
his head, patted the dusty neck, put the 
reins over, then deliberately and awk- 
wardly chmbed into the saddle and rode 
slowly down the street. Calico was 
hcked! Licked to a finish! You should 
have heard the boys cheer the little Jap 
as he rode back a few minutes later. 

“Reynolds had seen it all, yet no word 
escaped him till after the horse had been 
stabled; then he patted Sammy on the 
shoulder and spoke a few words in Japan- 
ese, which caused the boy’s face to light 
up with satisfaction and his hand to seek 
Reynolds’ with a quick grip. 

“The two were inseparable; and under 
Reynolds’ careful tutoring Sammy made 
rapid progress in English, though some 
words he never did get straight. He 
learned to ride, too. When the men were 
at drill he watched every evolution, lis- 
tened to every order. He begged so 
hard, and seemed so anxious to learn, 
that I finally allowed him in the ranks, 
a soldier serving without hope of pay or 
preferment, but as gallant a soldier as 
ever drew rein, as you shall hear later on. 

“He got on famously with the men. 
Of course, they guyed and chaffed him, 
all of which he accepted good-naturedly, 
so long as they kept hands off. He would 
permit no one to hustle him or indulge 
in any horse-play. One of the men 

[ 21 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


attempted to manhandle him one day, 
when Sammy grappled with the fellow 
and threw him over his shoulder so 
violently as nearly to break the man’s 
neck. After that they respected his 
edict of ‘hands off.’ His thirst for knowl- 
edge seemed insatiable. Like a shadow 
he followed Reynolds; ever his eager 
questions, sometimes in English, more 
often in Japanese, as to why or how, 
receiving the tall trooper’s reply in 
kind. It was about three weeks after 
his arrival that Sammy had his first 
trouble, which came about in this wise. 

“ Hennessy , who was a roistering, good- 
natured fellow when sober, but a quarrel- 
some brute when in his cups, had spent 
the afternoon at Mexican Joe’s dive, and 
returning to camp in the evening, was 
fighting drunk and hankering for trouble. 

“ It so happened that the tent occupied 
by Sammy stood at one end of the adobe 
building in which Hennessy bunked, and 
the latter, to reach his door, must pass 
within a few feet of the little Jap, who 
sat cross-legged on the ground at the 
open fiap of his tent, tinkering at his 
equipment. Some evil spirit prompted 
the drunken Irishman to bait the Japan- 
ese, for he stopped, and with an ugly leer 
commanded the boy to get up and get 
him a cup, as he proposed to initiate all 
stray Orientals about the camp into the 
mysteries of American tanglefoot. 

“‘Get up, ye sawed-off haythen, and 

[ 22 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


bring me the cup, before I spit and dhrown 
yez.’ 

“Sammy smiled and went on fixing his 
buckle. 

“‘Didn’t yez hear me, ye naygur.? 
I’ve a mind to take on a body sarvint in 
me ould age, and as yure so dam purty 
and so smilin’-like, yez have been elected 
by a most overwhelmin’ majority as 
striker to the Honorable Tim Hinnissy, 
and I’ll start yez in proper by fillin’ yez 
up on this,’ and he swung the bottle 
dangerously near Sammy’s head. 

“Still smiling, Sammy shook his head. 
‘No want him, those drink; him make for 
me pain of the head.’ 

“Hennessy scowled angrily. 

“ ‘Don’t want it, don’t yez? Well, ’tis 
time ye were lamin’ that whin yure boss 
gives ye an ordther ye are to move, and 
not sit squattin’ like a cross-legged toad, 
argifying. Git up, now, or I’ll kick a 
hole through the basement of yure pants ! ’ 
and he touched the lad none too gently 
with the toe of his boot. 

“Sammy looked surprised, but still 
shook his head and smiled. 

“ ‘No want him, those drink; no geet 


up.’ 

“ Hennessy ’s big foot swung back, 
then forward, as he landed a vicious kick 
squarely amidships; Sammy rolled over, 
without doubt the most surprised and 
the maddest Japanese in the Western 
Hemisphere. He sprang to his feet, his 

[ 23 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


eyes ablaze, but as Hennessy raised his 
foot for another kick, Sammy ducked 
under the tent flap and disappeared 
within. 

“Hennessy howled derisively and 
stepped forward with the evident inten- 
tion of following, but just then his head 
rocked backward from an awful smash 
dealt him by the youngster, who stepped 
out of the tent and faced the furious 
Irishman. It was the hilt of that old 
cavalry saber which had halted Mr. 
Hennessy ’s advance. Full and square 
in his teeth the blow had landed, and as 
he spat the blood and a couple of floating 
teeth from between his lacerated hps, he 
yelled, ‘Ye son of a scutt! ye wud play 
wid the tools, wud yez.^’ He sprang into 
the open door of his own quarters, 
snatched up his saber, and, leaping out, 
sent the scabbard clattering to the earth 
as he strode toward the waiting Jap, 
who seemed to have forgotten his anger 
and was now smiling expectantly. 

“The blow had instantly sobered the 
big trooper, but it had also wakened the 
devil in him, and it was evident to 
the men who ran flocking to the scene 
that Hennessy meant to hurt the boy, 
possibly to kill him. 

“‘Now, ye haythen toad. I’ll show yez 
how to use the business end av a cheese 
knife! I’ll just shce off wan ear as a 
sooveneer an’ then I’ll spank yez with 
the flat av me blade; but if ye are nasty 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


about it, by God, I’ll take the two av 
thim,’ and with this he made a vicious 
cut at Sammy’s head, the blow shpping 
harmlessly from the waiting steel. 

“Two of the men started to rush Hen- 
nessy from the rear to prevent a kilhng, 
but Reynolds interfered, saying, ‘ Let him 
alone; this isn’t your fight.’ 

“ ‘But Hennessy ’s crazy drunk and will 
kill him ! ’ 

“T don’t think so,’ calmly rephed 
Reynolds. ‘Hennessy will presently see 
a great light, and, if I mistake not, will 
be a very sober man when he finishes his 
job.’ 

“And it was so. For the first few 
moments Sammy seemed content to parry 
the strokes which were rained upon him 
with all the strength and fury of the 
enraged Irishman. So furiously did Hen- 
nessy press home his attack, and so 
steadfastly did the little Jap hold his 
ground, that again and again the blades 
were engaged up to the very hilt, and it 
seemed that Sammy’s unguarded sword- 
hand must surely suffer; but each time 
a deft turn of the wrist put aside the 
danger. The boy’s enigmatical smile, 
and the ease with which he parried each 
savage cut and thrust, seemed to drive 
the big trooper wild, for with a fierce 
oath he redoubled his effort and sought 
by sheer weight to break down his 
adversary’s guard. 

“Then Sammy’s tactics changed, and 

[ 25 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


within ten seconds the spellbound men 
reahzed, as did Hennessy, that with all his 
bulk and strength the big fellow was but 
as a child, absolutely at the mercy of that 
smiling, youthful foe, while the sword- 
play which followed was the talk of many 
a camp-fire in the years that followed. 

“Stepping back a pace, the Japanese 
suddenly set his saber whirhng in a 
peculiar wheel-hke movement, which 
opposed a circular shield of steel to 
Hennessy ’s weapon. Swifter and swifter 
whirled that shining thing, its sibilant 
hiss growing more and more venomous, 
menacing, and deadly. Utterly con- 
founded, Hennessy paused, his sword- 
arm extended, too dumbfounded to give 
ground or to drop his point. Suddenly 
the guardless saber shot out, and, en- 
gaging the Irishman’s blade, tore it from 
his hand and sent it flying over the heads 
of the crowd, to fall harmlessly fifty feet 
away. Then, as his arms dropped hmply, 
the gray of a great fear stole over Hen- 
nessy ’s face, not the fear of a coward, but 
the fear of a brave man who looks into 
the eyes of a death he cannot parry, — 
while that silent serpent of steel darted 
through his hair, between ear and skull, 
first on one side, then the other; passed 
like hghtning within a hairbreadth of his 
jugular; then under each armpit, or 
flicked a button from the bosom of his 
shirt, as if seeking the most deadly spot 
to place its fatal sting. Yet no harm 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


came to the Irishman; not one drop of 
blood did he lose. 

‘‘In a minute it was ended. Sammy 
swung his saber upward and brought it 
down flat-side, landing with a sounding 
whack just above Hennessy’s left ear, 
knocking all the sense out of him for flve 
minutes. Turning to Reynolds, the boy 
laughingly said, ‘Me no hurt him; him 
no Samurai; him big boy, not know how 
for make those flght.’ Then he sat down 
before his tent and resumed the repairs 
on his buckle. 

“That settled it. Sammy had made 
good as a fighting man, and from that 
day he was the idol of the Company. 
Hennessy was thoroughly whipped, and, 
hke a real man, he knew it and bore no 
mahce. After an hour he emerged from 
his quarters, and walking up to the Jap, 
grasped his hand. 

“‘Sammy, yure the boss. God knows 
ye should av kilt me for the dhirty cur 
that I was, but ye didn’t, and I’m yure 
frind. If yez want a striker to clane 
yure horse, or to be doin’ yure maynial 
wurruk, it’s meself that’s lookin’ for the 
job, for ye are the biggest man I iver 
hooked up wid, if ye are put up in a small 
bundle.’ 

“Sammy’s smile broadened, as he 
warmly shook the Irishman’s hand. 

“‘Hennessy one fine boy, when he no 
make of those drink; it is good for be 
friends.’ 

[^ 7 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


‘‘Hennessy spent ten days in the 
guardhouse for his drunken folly, and it 
was Sammy who regularly carried to him 
tidbits from his own mess. 

“We had enjoyed a season of compara- 
tive quiet, but the long expected break 
came early in July. The entire Apache 
nation, which had for months been seeth- 
ing with unrest, now broke into open 
revolt with the usual campaign of murder 
and pillage. 

“At dusk one evening a courier, who 
had ridden seventy miles since noon, 
brought orders from the Colonel to inter- 
cept a war party of seventy or eighty 
Tontos, who were reported raiding up the 
San Simeon Valley, bound for Sonora. 
Company F, at Fort Bowie, would cut 
them off from the outlet at the upper end 
of the valley, when it was supposed the 
reds would swing to the westward and, 
skirting the hills, would cross the Divide 
at or near Dragoon Summit and make for 
the Mexican border through the foothills 
to the west of Dos Cabesos. By hard 
riding it might be possible to intercept 
them at Hanging Rock Springs, a favor- 
ite camping-place for such expeditions. 

“ Hurried preparations were made, and 
at three o’clock next morning Troop C 
filed out from cantonments on its long 
ride. As men and horses were fresh, we 
rapidly put mile after mile behind us in 
the cool morning hours. A hurried break- 

[^ 5 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


fast as the sun came up from behind the 
distant Dragoons, and then began the 
dreary ride across the desolate stretch of 
hill and plain which lay between us and 
Hanging Rock, the point at which I 
hoped to bag our game. Mile after mile 
we jogged under the blazing Arizona sun, 
the rear of the little column hidden in 
the blinding alkah dust, which rose in 
clouds from the dry, parched earth. Far 
to the front, with the flankers, rode 
Reynolds, and with him Sammy, who 
had entered upon this man-hunt with all 
the enthusiasm of a boy. 

“At noon we halted for an hour, to 
rest the horses and eat our slender ration; 
then on we pushed across the barren 
wastes toward our destination. At mid- 
afternoon the heat became terriflc, the 
horses suffering severely and many of them 
beginning to show evidences of the twelve- 
hours’ stretch. Hanging Rock, flfteen 
miles away, was now in plain view across 
the valley, but it began to be questionable 
whether the command could reach it 
before dusk, and it would be most im- 
prudent to scale the hill and enter that 
rocky den after the sun had gone down. 

“Nature, in a freakish mood, had 
pushed the long shelf of rock out from the 
summit of the divide, and most strange 
it was that there, high up above the 
plain, should bubble forth from beneath 
the hanging scarp of stone, a great spring 
of clear, cool water. The ridge was a 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


wilderness of giant boulders, a jungle of 
ragged rocks, thick strewn, as if scattered 
by some Titan hand in the far-off days 
when earth was young. 

“Suddenly the left flankers, a half mile 
in advance, drew up, and Reynolds’ 
signal told me that something unusual 
was beyond. A moment later we saw a 
single horseman emerge from one of the 
numerous blind canons on the left and 
ride rapidly toward the waiting soldiers. 
Reaching them he seemed to confer for a 
moment, then Reynolds wheeled and 
dashed back toward the column, waving 
his hat and shouting some unintelligible 
message. As I rode forward to meet the 
flying horseman, his white face warned 
me of evil tidings. 

“‘Captain, a scout from Fort Grant 
says that the Colonel’s wife and his two 
little children, with a detail of six men, 
left Grant at noon, to meet the Colonel 
at Huachuca; two hours after they left 
the post, news of the break reached the 
camp, and Captain Dunlap sent this 
scout after the Colonel’s wife to bring her 
back. He ran into a band of Apaches 
who were following the trail of the ambu- 
lance, and he thinks they will overtake 
it at Hanging Rock. Unable to warn 
the detail, and with another band of 
Indians between him and Grant, he cut 
around and was making for Huachuca 
when he spied us.’ 

“God! It was fifteen miles to Hanging 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


Rock, and even now the little detail 
might be surrounded. And a woman, 
too! It meant swift action; so, turning 
to the command, I told the men the 
situation, explaining that the lives of our 
Colonel’s wife and children, and of the 
six troopers, depended upon our reach- 
ing Hanging Rock before the reds could 
complete their devilish work. As many 
of the horses were exhausted, it would 
depend upon those who had the best 
mounts to make the rescue, so I ordered 
each man to do his best and started the 
entire troop upon a free-for-all run for 
the Rock. Within ten minutes Company 
C was strung out for a mile across the 
desert, the better horses forging to the 
front, the weaker falling to the rear. 

“ Fortunately, my horse was in fair con- 
dition and carried me well to the front. I 
rode hard, but far in advance of all raced 
Reynolds’ big bay and Sammy’s pinto. 
An hour, which seemed an eternity, had 
passed, when less than a score of troopers 
reached the foot of the ridge a mile from 
the spring. As one after another of the 
horses dropped back exhausted, I won- 
dered how many would be with me at 
the finish, and if we should be in time. 

“Suddenly from the heights above 
came the far-away bang of a Springfield, 
then another, while the faint puff of 
rifle smoke floating from the summit told 
us that the Tontos were at work. Up 
the slope we went as rapidly as the reeking 

[SI] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


horses would carry us; far to the front, 
now disappearing behind the rocks, rode 
Reynolds and Sammy. The reports of 
the Springfields came ever clearer to us as 
we toiled up the rocky slope, and now and 
again we heard the exultant yells of the 
savages as they pressed their attack. 

‘‘A quarter of a mile from the spring 
my horse wavered, then stumbled and fell, 
unable to carry me another rod. Snatch- 
ing my pistols from the holsters, I ran 
on, hoping against hope that we might be 
in time. A louder chorus of savage yells 
and a popping of the Colts told me that 
Reynolds and Sammy had reached the 
scene. Breathless with the uphill run, I 
finally turned a giant boulder, and the 
httle amphitheater about the spring was 
spread out before me. 

“To the rear of the water hole stood an 
ambulance, the mules all down; just 
behind the spring, and cowering against 
the overhanging rock, was the Colonel’s 
wife, with her helpless little ones; while 
lying about were five motionless figures in 
faded army blue, which told the story of 
brave men who had battled to the last 
and had died the soldier’s death. Beside 
the praying woman knelt a wounded 
trooper, calmly shooting into the horde 
of savage figures who were darting and 
dodging amidst the rocks; while to the 
left and in front stood Sammy and 
Reynolds, their Colts spitting viciously 
at the Indians, who were evidently sur- 
[S2] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


prised and disturbed by the unwelcome 
re-enforcements. The men were directly 
between the Indians and the woman, and 
as the savages hoped to capture the latter 
alive they were not using their guns, but 
had attacked the Jap and his comrade 
with, knives and war clubs. 

‘‘As I looked, the wounded man went 
down, and, casting aside their empty 
weapons, Reynolds and Sammy drew 
their sabers and stood between the kneel- 
ing woman and the two score of yelping 
beasts. A moment later Reynolds toppled 
backward from a murderous thrust in the 
side and a blow from a war club upon 
the head, delivered simultaneously, and 
Sammy was alone, confronting that 
swarm of naked cut-throats. A half« 
dozen of my men now came running 
up the trail, and in an instant their 
Springfields were roaring as they pressed 
forward, shooting, and shouting encour- 
agement to the boy. 

“And then, starthngly clear and vi- 
brant, above the din of the yelling 
savages, above the shouts of the men 
and the banging of the Springfields, rose 
in a foreign tongue a strange, weird chant, 
full and sonorous as a trumpet-call. It 
was the battle song of the Samurai, — 
Sammy’s answering challenge, — the war- 
cry of his fathers. About him shimmered 
and hissed that impenetrable circle of 
steel, and though they hacked and stabbed 
in frantic haste, not once did a hostile 

[SS] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


thrust reach beyond that matchless 
guard. Like a thing of light, the shining 
weapon darted here and there, claiming 
with each touch its tithe of blood. 

“The leader of the redskins, a hideously 
painted buck, seeing the rescuers near at 
hand, made a sudden feint and, dropping 
upon one knee, attempted to stab the 
boy through the abdomen. It was his 
last stroke, for as Sammy sprang back 
his blade whirled downward, the savage 
hand dropped to the earth, lopped clean 
at the wrist as with an ax, and the next 
instant a life went out through an ugly 
gash in the dusky throat. Louder rose 
that rhythmic chant, while ever, as some 
thin flame, the slender blade played 
swiftly about the swordsman. 

“Reynolds struggled to rise, but was 
too badly hurt, and sank back beside the 
prostrate trooper. Never pausing in his 
song, Sammy stepped in front of his 
fallen friend, and as the steel told on its 
fateful tale, high up above the din of 
strife the sonorous words rang out: 

“ ‘Heed me, oh mighty ones, my 
fathers of the past ! The spirit lives 
within thy son! See! the arm is strong, 
the hand is sure, and with each stroke 
the life wine flows ! To the sacred annals 
of our house I add another deed. Hail 
to ye, oh mighty dead! Hail! heroes 
of Yamato’s line!’ 

“Swiftly and more deadly flamed that 
gleaming brand, as Sammy, seemingly 

[ ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


endowed with more than human strength, 
now took the offensive and pressing into 
the struggling band, made a sudden, 
swinging side-cut which swept a head 
completely from its moorings, then 
plunged a foot of steel into another 
naked breast. 

“It was more than the Tontos could 
stand, and they gave way before the Jap’s 
sudden onslaught, taking refuge behind 
the rocks. A dozen troopers were now 
in action, their fire soon causing the 
Indians to scatter like quail along the 
rocky ridge, where it would have been 
foolhardy to pursue. 

“As the Indians fled Sammy dropped 
his dripping point, and turning, ran back 
to Reynolds, and was in the act of lifting 
him when an Indian, who had paused in 
his flight, rested his rifle barrel upon a 
boulder, and, taking deliberate aim, shot 
the Jap through the body. The little 
fellow pitched forward and lay so mo- 
tionless we thought him dead; but as 
the boys tenderly lifted and turned him 
he smiled faintly, as he said, ‘Me all 
right; help Meester Reynolds.’ Then the 
mercy of unconsciousness came to him, 
and he lay white and still as one whose 
earthly cares were at an end. 

“It was the wickedest little fight I’ve 
ever seen; five troopers were dead and 
three were desperately wounded, while 
there were eighteen good Indians to 
balance the account, seven of them Sam- 

[^ 5 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


my’s. But the woman and her babies 
were safe, so the sacrifice had not been 
wholly in vain. 

‘‘The surgeon shortly reached the scene 
and hurriedly examined the wounded 
men. To my look of inquiry, he rephed, 
‘Reynolds and the other man will pull 
through, but Sammy is booked, spine 
broken.’ From the troopers gathered 
close about came a half-suppressed sob, 
which told, more eloquently than words, 
how the lad had won them. 

“Throwing out a strong picket, I made 
quick preparations for the night. Within 
an hour the remainder of the command 
had struggled in, the Colonel’s wife and 
children were housed in the ambulance, 
supper was cooked, then the stillness and 
the grandeur of an Arizona night was 
upon that blood-stained bivouac. 

“Reynolds, his head bandaged and the 
long cut in his side dressed and stitched, 
slept fitfully, muttering incoherently of 
unknown people and places. For Sammy, 
nothing could be done; his hurt was 
mortal, and within a few hours the great 
Silence, the Nirvana of his faith, would 
be his. Presently the moon came swing- 
ing up into the cloudless, starlit sky, 
driving back the shadows, toning the 
rough outlines of the rocks, and making 
beautiful the rugged amphitheater about 
the spring. By ten o’clock it was as 
light as at early dawn, while the sur- 
geon and I sat beside the now conscious 


THE TWO SAMURAI 

boy as he lay upon the rough blanket 
bed. 

‘‘‘Sammy/ I said, as I took his hand, 
‘you are badly wounded and it may be 
that you will not again return to your 
people. Will you tell me of your home, 
and will you give me some message for 
those who are dear to you.^’ 

“There was wondrous strength in the 
grip he gave my hand, and his voice was 
steady as, in halting, uncertain English, 
he told me of his birthplace in far-away 
Japan, his beautiful Japan that he would 
never see again; of his father, the ‘grand 
man ’ who had sent him out into the world 
that he might learn the ways of the 
‘ Merican Soldier,’ and thus be of greater 
service to his country in some day of 
need. He told us of the great palace 
upon a hill, which had been his home, and 
spoke reverently of the little mother who 
waited for his return. He was most 
anxious that his father should know he 
had fallen in battle, and that many men 
had felt his steel before he went down. 

“ ‘Me Samurai,’ he added, simply; ‘it 
is good that Samurai should die in those 
fight.’ 

“Reynolds, unconscious and feverishly 
moaning, lay a few feet distant, and 
Sammy asked that he be moved so that 
he might lie beside his friend. Just be- 
side his bed the moonlight showed a tiny 
desert flower, a flower not born to blush 
unseen, but destined, thank God, to 

[^ 7 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


brighten the dying hour of that home- 
hungry little Japanese. He plucked the 
flower, and Ufting it to his lips, he said, 
‘Many flowers in my countree.’ After 
this he lay very still, gazing steadily up 
into the limitless, jeweled space, as if 
trying to fathom the eternal mystery of 
life and death. It was nearly midnight 
when I noticed that his hands were grow- 
ing cold, and found that the respiration 
was growing very labored. The surgeon, 
after feehng the pulse, beckoned me aside 
to whisper that the hour was come. 

“As we bent over him, his eyes sought 
mine and he said, haltingly, ‘Captaine 
and that doctor man are been verre good 
to Sammy.’ Turning his head, he noticed 
that the blanket had fallen away from 
his comrade’s shoulder; with great effort 
he reached out, and pulling the blanket 
in place, patted the shoulder lovingly, 
and laid the desert flower upon Rey- 
nolds’ breast. ‘Him my friend,’ he whis- 
pered; ‘him Samurai, too; him ’Merican 
Samurai.’ For a few minutes his pulse 
fluttered intermittently, when I saw that 
his lips were moving, and bending low, I 
caught the faintly murmured words, 
‘Nippon! Nippon! Samurai!’ Then the 
brave heart was still forever, and we 
knew that a gallant soul had passed. 

“So died a Samurai; giving his young 
Hfe in defense of the helpless ones of an 
alien people, a people who regarded him 
and his kind as pagans. Surely, in the 
[^ 5 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


final muster, the Great Commander, 
making no distinction as to race or creed, 
will reward soldiers such as he. 

“It was a sad returning to the home 
camp. Reynolds, raving in delirium, was 
conveyed slowly in the ambulance, and 
it was not until after poor Sammy had 
been buried that he regained conscious- 
ness. A fortnight later he emerged from 
the hospital, gaunt and haggard, with 
deep lines on his brow from this last 
sorrow, for he had loved his little com- 
rade with all the strength of his great 
nature. 

“The men came in a body to request 
that Sammy should be given a soldier’s 
funeral. The Colonel, who had arrived, 
and had heard how the boy died, cried 
like a child as he told the men they should 
have their wish. 

“At sunset we laid him to rest, with 
full military honors. The salute was 
fired; then, with tears coursing down 
his bronzed cheek, the bugler stepped 
to the head of that lowly grave and 
sounded taps — the soldier’s ‘good 
night.’ Sweetly and sadly those mourn- 
ful cadences floated out over the desert. 
Troop C’s farewell to little Sammy. 

“Two days later a message came from 
Department Headquarters inquiring if 
one Izo Yamato, a Japanese, was at 
Huachuca, and if so to extend to him 
every courtesy, etc., etc., by order of 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


the War Department. I replied, briefly 
detailing the history of his death. I 
also wrote the Japanese consul at San 
Francisco, telhng him all. 

‘‘A month shpped by, when an ambu- 
lance and escort arrived from Benson. 
Sammy’s father. Count Yamato, a dis- 
tinguished man of middle age, had come 
to take the body home. Through an 
interpreter and Reynolds he heard the 
story of Sammy’s gallant fight and death. 
He was much moved and, though his 
eyes were dim with unshed tears, he 
gravely saluted the Colonel and myself, 
and declared himself content, since his 
son had died as befitted a Samurai of 
his rank. 

“Through the interpreter, we told him 
of the great friendship between his son 
and Reynolds. It was after a long talk 
with the Count next day that Reynolds 
sought the Colonel wdth a strange request. 
He explained that, as his three years of 
service would expire within a month, 
he desired the Colonel’s influence with 
the Department in securing his imme- 
diate discharge. The Count had offered 
formally to adopt him as his son and, 
having no ties which bound him to his 
native land, the Sergeant had accepted. 
Count Yamato seconded the petition, 
stating that having lost his only son, his 
heart had gone out to the gallant young 
American whom he now desired to make 
his heir. It was easily arranged, and two 

[^ 0 ] 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


days later they started west with Sammy’s 
remains. 

‘‘ Within a week or two after I, too, was 
in San Francisco, ordered to duty at the 
Presidio. As I crossed the ferry from 
Oakland, we ran close under the stern of 
a great Pacific liner bound for the Orient. 
On the after-deck stood a tall figure, and 
Sergeant Reynolds’ voice came to me 
across the waters, ‘Good-bye and God 
bless you. Captain.’ The Count stood 
beside him, and I knew that below decks 
little Sammy’s body was going home to 
sleep beside his fathers. Into the splen- 
dor of the sunset which lay beyond the 
Golden Gate, to the far-off land of 
fiowers, sailed the mighty ship bearing my 
two Samurai, the living and the dead.” 

The Colonel paused in his story, and 
taking from his pocket a letter post- 
marked Tokio, Japan, May 1, 1904, he 
read the following extract: 

“‘As a mihtary man you are, of course, 
interested in the war. Here in Japan we 
hear little of events at the front save the 
oflBcial dispatches, with which you are 
already familiar. Yesterday, however, I 
witnessed an event of more than passing 
interest. During the recent desperate 
fighting between the Japanese torpedo 
flotilla and the Russian battleships about 
Port Arthur, a lieutenant-commander of 
the Japanese navy, in command of a 
destroyer, made a daring and successful 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


attack upon one of the enemy’s vessels. 
He was killed in the action, and his body 
brought home for interment. Never 
have I seen so splendid a spectacle nor so 
impressive a service. In attendance were 
the Emperor and the entire Imperial 
Court, as well as the highest officers of 
the Army and Navy, all ablaze with gold 
lace and jeweled decorations. The body 
rested upon a magnificent catafalque of 
purple velvet, bearing the national arms 
and draped with the battle-flags of his 
ship. It seems that the officer had been 
a Samurai, a member of some noble 
family, and, in recognition of his gal- 
lantry in action, a part of the ceremony 
was the conferring by the Emperor on 
the dead man of the Order of the Golden 
Kite, thus marking him as one of Japan’s 
national heroes. After this ceremony was 
ended, an old, white-haired noble, said 
to be the dead man’s father, took from 
an attendant a package, which proved to 
be a silken American flag, with which he 
reverently covered the casket. Then the 
crowd slowly filed out, leaving the dead 
hero alone under the folds of Old Glory. 
It is said to have been an event unprec- 
edented in the history of Japan, but I 
could learn little concerning it. Those I 
asked either didn’t know, or wouldn’t 
tell. Strange people, these Japanese.’ ” 
The Colonel folded up the letter and 
replaced it in his pocket. As he rose to 
bid us good-night, he said: 


THE TWO SAMURAI 


“I have since learned that the daring 
commander who gave his life to Japan, 
and whose body lay in the old temple, 
shrouded in the American colors, was 
Sergeant Reynolds of old Troop C, one 
of my Two Samurai.” 




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